Translated from Portuguese. The Portuguese version prevails. Ler em português
Composition and Appointment of the Justices of the Constitutional Court
The Constitutional Court is composed of 11 Justices, appointed from among jurists and magistrates, as follows:
Four justices nominated by the President of the Republic, including the President of the Court;
Four justices elected by the National Assembly by a 2/3 majority of the Members of Parliament in office, including the Vice-President of the Court;
Two justices elected by the Superior Council of the Judiciary;
One justice selected through a public competition based on professional record, in accordance with the law.
The justices of the Constitutional Court are appointed for 1 non-renewable term of office of seven years and enjoy the guarantees of independence, irremovability, impartiality and non-liability enjoyed by the judges of the other courts.
Article 181(3) and (4) of the CRA.
President of the Constitutional Court
Laurinda Jacinto Prazeres
Appointed by the President of the Republic
PERSONAL DETAILS
NAME: Laurinda Jacinto Prazeres
DATE OF BIRTH: 17 June 1975
PLACE OF BIRTH: Porto Amboim, Cuanza-Sul Province
ACADEMIC BACKGROUND
Postgraduate qualification in Business Management from Católica Lisbon School of Business & Economics (2018);
Postgraduate qualification in Legal and Business Sciences from the Faculty of Law of Agostinho Neto University, in cooperation with the University of Coimbra (2007);
Degree in Law, Legal and Economic Sciences option, from the Faculty of Law of Agostinho Neto University, Angola (2001);
Pre-school, basic and secondary education (1982-1994).
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Justice of the Constitutional Court (since August 2021);
Secretary of State for Territorial Administration (2017-2021);
- Coordinator of the Technical Support Group for the Integrated Plan for Intervention in the Municipalities;
- Coordinator of the Technical Support Group for the Political and Administrative Division of Angola;
Superior Council of the Public Prosecution Service (2016-2017)
- Member of the Superior Council of the Public Prosecution Service;
Ministry of Territorial Administration (2010-2017)
- Director of the Legal Office.
Lead – Sociedade de Advogados, RL (2006-2016)
- Lawyer and founding partner, coordinator of the Employment Law and Litigation and Social Security practice area.
FBL – ADVOGADOS (2006-2016)
- Partner and senior lawyer, responsible for the Employment Law and Litigation practice area
FARIA DE BASTOS, ADVOGADOS (2001-2004)
- Associate lawyer.
BUSINESS SECTOR (2003-2009)
- Legal Director of Golfrate Holdings Angola
OTHER ACTIVITIES
MEMBERSHIPS AND OTHER ACTIVITIES:
- Founding member of the Angolan Association of Labour Lawyers (JUTRA);
- Member of the Provincial Council of the Angolan Bar Association (2008-2011);
- Attended the courses ‘Legal English’ and ‘Communicating Effectively in English’, The London School of English, United Kingdom (2015);
- Public Management Course, level A (P1) – ENAD, Angola (2013);
- Regular speaker at national and international conferences on Angolan labour law;
- Worked with the World Bank on the Doing Business assessments, on labour and company law matters (2008-2014)
Serving Justices
Victória Manuel da Silva Izata
Victória Manuel da Silva Izata is Vice-President of the Constitutional Court and presides over the First Chamber. She was elected to the Vice-Presidency by the National Assembly on 13 January 2023 and sworn in by the President of the Republic on 20 January 2023, succeeding Justice Guilhermina Contreiras da Costa Prata, who retired on reaching the age limit. At the time of that election she was already serving as a Justice. She holds a degree in Law from the Faculty of Law of Agostinho Neto University. She was a member of the Executive Committee of the Angolan Association of Women Lawyers and of the Human Rights Committee of the Angolan Bar Association.
Sources: https://www.tribunalconstitucional.ao/pt/lista-das-noticias/vice-presidente-do-tribunal-constitucional-e-o-novo-juiz-conselheiro-ja-em-funcoes-1/ ; https://correiokianda.info/tribunal-constitucional-vice-presidente-e-juiz-conselheiro-empossados-hoje/ ; https://governo.gov.ao/galeria/imagens/ju%C3%8Dzes-do-tribunal-constitucional-tomam-posse ; https://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vict%C3%B3ria_Izata
Carlos Alberto Bravo Burity da Silva
Carlos Alberto Bravo Burity da Silva is a Justice of the Constitutional Court, selected through a public competition based on professional record, and sits in the First Chamber. He is the author of legal works, including Teoria Geral do Direito Civil, published by the Faculty of Law of Agostinho Neto University, and coordinated the collection Ciências Policiais: Trabalhos de Doutoramento (2013).
Sources: https://bibliografia.bnportugal.gov.pt/bnp/bnp.exe/q?mfn=87961&qf_AU=%3DSILVA%2C+CARLOS+ALBERTO+B.+BURITY+DA ; https://www.conjur.com.br/2016-jan-06/direito-comparado-produz-jurista-modelo-angolano-parte-35/
Carlos Manuel dos Santos Teixeira
Carlos Manuel dos Santos Teixeira is a Justice of the Constitutional Court, appointed by the President of the Republic. He has presided over the Second Chamber since 17 February 2025, succeeding Justice Júlia de Fátima Leite Ferreira. He holds a Master's degree in Law from the Faculty of Law of the University of Coimbra, where he is a doctoral candidate, and is a professor at the Faculty of Law of Agostinho Neto University, where since 7 September 2009 he has directed the Centre for Research on Public Policy and Local Governance. He has published studies on local government and local governance in Angola.
Sources: https://www.tribunalconstitucional.ao/pt/noticias/juiz-conselheiro-carlos-teixeira-preside-segunda-camara/ ; https://www.tribunalconstitucional.ao/media/wqomouz0/newsletter_tc_fevereiro_2025.pdf ; https://www.redalyc.org/journal/3509/350964600003/html/ ; https://estudioshistoricos.org/21/eh2101.pdf ; https://periodicos.furg.br/rbhcs/article/view/17763
Maria de Fátima de Lima d'Almeida Baptista da Silva
Maria de Fátima de Lima d'Almeida Baptista da Silva is a Justice of the Constitutional Court, elected by the Superior Council of the Judiciary, and sits in the First Chamber. An academic, she is the author of Direito Fundamental à Retribuição Enquanto Afirmação da Dignidade da Pessoa Humana, launched on 12 December 2025 in Luanda.
Sources: https://www.tribunalconstitucional.ao/pt/noticias/juiza-conselheira-lanca-nova-obra-cientifica/ ; https://www.andifes.org.br/2025/09/19/ufma-recebe-visita-de-conselheira-da-corte-constitucional-da-angola-e-fortalece-internacionalizacao/
Gilberto de Faria Magalhães
Gilberto de Faria Magalhães is a Justice of the Constitutional Court, appointed by the President of the Republic on 15 December 2021. He sits in the Second Chamber.
Sources: https://www.novojornal.co.ao/politica/detalhe/pr-nomeia-gilberto-de-faria-magalhaes-juiz-conselheiro-do-tc-28209.html ; https://observador.pt/2021/12/15/presidente-angolano-designa-gilberto-de-faria-magalhaes-juiz-do-tribunal-constitucional/
João Carlos António Paulino
João Carlos António Paulino is a Justice of the Constitutional Court, elected by the Superior Council of the Judiciary by resolution of 24 January 2024 and sworn in by the President of the Republic on 30 January 2024, succeeding Justice Simão de Sousa Victor, who retired. He holds a degree in Law from Agostinho Neto University and a postgraduate qualification in Legal and Forensic Sciences from Universidade Piaget. He was an Appeal Judge at the Luanda Court of Appeal, where he presided over the Criminal Chamber, Deputy Director of the National Institute for Judicial Studies and a Member of the Superior Council of the Judiciary. He sits in the First Chamber.
Sources: https://www.tribunalconstitucional.ao/pt/noticias/novo-juiz-conselheiro-do-tribunal-constitucional-ja-em-funcoes/ ; https://cipra.gov.ao/noticias/1319/governo/decreto-presidencial/presidente-nomeia-juiz-conselheiro-para-tribunal-constitucional ; https://e-global.pt/noticias/lusofonia/angola/angola-pr-da-posse-a-juiz-conselheiro-do-tribunal-constitucional/
Lucas Manuel João Quilundo
Lucas Manuel João Quilundo is a Justice of the Constitutional Court, appointed by the President of the Republic to the vacancy left by the retirement of Justice Júlia de Fátima Leite Ferreira. He was sworn in on 18 December 2024 and presented to the Plenary on 19 December 2024. He holds a degree in Law from Agostinho Neto University. Until his appointment he was a commissioner of the National Electoral Commission, where he also served as spokesperson. He sits in the Second Chamber.
Sources: https://www.tribunalconstitucional.ao/pt/lista-das-noticias/designado-novo-juiz-conselheiro-do-tribunal-constitucional/ ; https://www.tribunalconstitucional.ao/pt/noticias/novo-juiz-conselheiro-do-tribunal-constitucional-formalmente-apresentado/ ; https://www.cipra.gov.ao/noticias/2119/governo/no-palacio-presidencial/novo-juiz-conselheiro-do-tribunal-constitucional-toma-posse ; https://www.sapo.pt/noticias/atualidade/presidente-angolano-designa-novo-juiz_67588b27095f6966433fa326
Amélia Augusto Varela
Amélia Augusto Varela is a Justice of the Constitutional Court, elected by the National Assembly and sworn in by the President of the Republic on 10 April 2025, filling the vacancy left by Justice Maria da Conceição de Almeida Sango, who retired. A jurist, at the time of her nomination she was serving as Secretary of State for Public Administration at the Ministry of Public Administration, Labour and Social Security. She sits in the First Chamber.
Sources: https://www.tribunalconstitucional.ao/pt/lista-das-noticias/tribunal-constitucional-conta-com-duas-novas-juizas-conselheiras/ ; http://www.novojornal.co.ao/politica/detalhe/unita-escolhe-a-jurista-margareth-nanga-e-mpla-amelia-varela-a-actual-secretaria-de-estado-do-maptss-para-juizas-do-tc-64046.html ; https://www.sapo.pt/noticias/atualidade/pr-angolano-deu-posse-a-novas-juizas-do_67f80ada2382250f11cd2188
Emiliana Margareth Morais Nangacovie Quessongo
Emiliana Margareth Morais Nangacovie Quessongo is a Justice of the Constitutional Court, elected by the National Assembly and sworn in by the President of the Republic on 10 April 2025, filling the vacancy left by Justice Josefa Antónia dos Santos Neto, who retired on reaching the age limit. She holds a Master's degree from the Postgraduate Programme in Legal Sciences of the Federal University of Paraíba (Brazil, 2013), in the field of Social Inclusion and the Protection and Defence of Human Rights, with the dissertation Políticas Públicas e Direito Humano à Habitação em Angola no Pós-Guerra. At the time of her election she was a lecturer at the Catholic University of Angola; she was previously a journalist. She sits in the Second Chamber.
Sources: https://repositorio.ufpb.br/jspui/bitstream/tede/4387/1/ArquivoTotal.pdf ; https://www.sapo.pt/noticias/atualidade/pr-angolano-deu-posse-a-novas-juizas-do_67f80ada2382250f11cd2188 ; https://www.tribunalconstitucional.ao/pt/lista-das-noticias/tribunal-constitucional-conta-com-duas-novas-juizas-conselheiras/
Vacancy
Seat of a Justice elected by the National Assembly, vacant since 19 August 2026 following the death of Justice Vitorino Domingos Hossi.
In memoriam
Vitorino Domingos Hossi
Vitorino Domingos Hossi was a Justice of the Constitutional Court. Elected by the National Assembly on 13 January 2023, he took office on 20 January 2023. A Law graduate of the Faculty of Human Sciences of the Catholic University of Lisbon, he was a doctoral candidate in Strategy at the University of Lisbon. He held several public offices, most notably that of Minister of Commerce (1997–2004) in the Government of Unity and National Reconciliation. He died in Luanda on 19 August 2026, after three years and seven months of service at the Court.
Sources: https://www.tribunalconstitucional.ao/pt/lista-das-noticias/vice-presidente-do-tribunal-constitucional-e-o-novo-juiz-conselheiro-ja-em-funcoes-1/ ; https://www.tribunalconstitucional.ao/pt/noticias/faleceu-juiz-conselheiro-do-tribunal-constitucional-vitorino-domingos-hossi/ ; https://www.tribunalconstitucional.ao/pt/noticias/homenagem-ao-juiz-conselheiro-vitorino-hossi/ ; https://www.tribunalconstitucional.ao/pt/noticias/tribunal-constitucional-presta-homenagem-a-juiz-conselheiro-vitorino-hossi/ ; https://rna.ao/rna.ao/2026/08/20/morre-vitorino-domingos-hossi-juiz-conselheiro-do-tribunal-constitucional/